Safety device for meters



y 1930. c. N. FULCHER 1,771,115

SAFETY DEVICE FOR METERS Filed Sspt. 24. 1928 fig .1.

. a zz ,19

-6 I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.-

Patented July 22, 1930 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES N. FULCHER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN METER CGMPANY, ENC, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,. A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SAFETY DEVICE FOR METERS Application filed September 24, 1928. Serial No. 398,090.

The present invention relates to safety de- 1685 for meters and more particularly to a safety device for gas meters.

The principal object of the invention is to prevent the theft of gas by reversal of movement of the meter, and to provide a safety means which will admit of the backward or reverse operation of the meter, should an abnormal back pressure occur in the line, thus protecting the meter from accidental injury from back pressure.

The invention consists broadly in cooperat vely mounting the yieldable abutment in operative relation with the meter reverse stop;

the abutment resisting the normal reversal movement of the reverse stop occasioned by an attempt to reverse the operation of'the meter for the theft of gas and yielding to the unusual pressure of the reverse stop in the event of an abnormal back pressure occurring in the line.

With the above mentioned and other ob jects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of the invention.

To comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the. accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in plan of the meter valve compartmentillustrating the safety mechanism mounted on the king post.

2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating the reverse stop lever and the yieldable abutment against which the lower end thereof bears on a reverse movement of the flag arms.

Fig. 3 is a View in detail on line 33 of Fig. 2, illustrating more clearly the yieldable abutment.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts, 1 is a valve and mechanism chamber of a well known type of gas meter, closed by a back plate 2, sealing the area between the walls 3 1 and 4, the end wall, not shown, and the-upper surface of the Wall 5. In the angle ofthe wall. 5 is placed aplate 6 supporting a stufiing box 7 extending at right angles therethrough. The platemounts a king post 8 having an overhanging bend 9 therein, and a lateral arm 10. A crank shaft '11 has bearlng at its opposite ends inthe stufling box 7 and in the overhanging portion I '9 of the king post'8. p

On. its lower end the crank shaft is proided with an offset with which is connected the valve arms 12. The valve arms 12 are connected with the valve covers 13, of usual construction, and the rotation of the shaft 11 and crank portion thereof connecting valve arms 12 causes the reciprocation of the valve covers 13 relative to their valve seats 14:.

To the upper end of the shaft 11 is secured a tangent arm 15 extending at right angles therefrom, and the same carries a block 16 to'which is pivot-ally connected,at 17, the flag arm links 18, which are at their opposite ends pivotally connected at 1-9 with the ends of flag arms 20, of the usual construction.

' The flag arms are connected to the 'wellknown typeof measuring bellows, not'shown,

and during the passage of the gas through the latter, under pressure, the arms oscillate asindicated by the arrows 21, causing a rotation ofjthe tangent arm 15 normally in the direction of the arrow 22.

Pivoted on a horizontal axis'at the end of thelateral arm 10 is a meter reverse stop 23, the upper end of which lies in the path of rotation of the tangent arm 15, and on each rotation of the tangent arm the stop is as to resist and prevent the rotation of the tangent arm 15 in a contra-clockwise direction should an attempt be made to reverse the rotation of the tangent arm by a gradual reversal of the gas from its normal flow through the meter. Such action would take place should an attempt be made to obtain gas by theft Without the correct operation of the meter.

It will be observed and it is to be understood that the spring 24. is adapted to yield to the action of a reverse movement of the tangent arm 15 should the force thereof be abnormal, occasioned by a back pressure in the meter. Such action would cause the tangent arm 15 to revolve in a direction reverse to the arrow 22, strike the rear of the reverse stop 23, causing its lower end to bear heavily on the spring 24, the latter yielding, permitting the stop to fulcrum and the tangent arm to pass thereover in a reverse direction.

I claim 1. In combination with the rotating tangent arm of a meter box, a. pivoted lever lying in the path of rotation of the tangent arm for engagement thereby on the rotation of said tangent arm in either direction, said lever mounted for free pivotal movement in one direction and means to yieldably resist said lever in its pivotal movement in a reverse direction.

2. In combination with the rotating tangent arm of a meter box, a pivoted lever lying in the path of rotation of the tangent arm for engagement thereby on the rotation of said tangent arm in either direction, said lever mounted for free pivotal movement in one direction, and a spring within the path of movement of the lever in reverse direction for resisting its pivotal movement.

In combination with the rotating tangent arm of a meter box, means lying in the path of rotation of the tangent arm for engagement thereby on the rotation of said tangent arm in either direction, said means adapted to freely pass said tangent arm in one direction and to yieldingly resist the passing of the tangent arm in a. reverse direction.

4. In combination with the rotating tan gent arm of a meter box, a meter reverse stop lying in the path of the tangent arm for engagement thereby on the movement of the tangent arm in either direction, and a yieldable means for resisting the movement of the meter reverse stop in the reverse direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed iiiy name to this specification.

CHARLES N. FULGHER. 

